Lewes Road Community Garden memorial for Dominique McDonald (From The Argus)

Lewes Road Community Garden memorial for Dominique McDonald

12:21pm Monday 15th February 2010 in News By John Keenan, community correspondent

Friends of Dominique McDonald, whose body was found near Brighton Marina last month, held a memorial for her yesterday at Lewes Road Community Garden. Miss McDonald, who suffered from bi-polar disorder, had been missing since December.

Her friends travelled from Reading and London to attend the memorial.

Gemma Williams, who is part of the Lewes Road Community Garden Project, said that she met Miss McDonald at a yoga session in the garden last summer.

“She really loved this place so it is appropriate that those who knew and loved here gather here to remember her,” Miss Williams said.

The day was also marked by a Music Festival organised by Community Expressions and the Garden Project. The site owner, Alburn Minos Developments, has announced plans to develop the land with flats, a betting shop, and a Tesco store.

Duncan Blinkhorn, a Brighton resident for 26 years, who has led the cleanup of the formerly derelict land, said: “The developer’s plans do not match local needs. Events like this festival prove that people want a community space in this area.”